Live, Love, Lie
by Becca Renee
Summary: Hermione seemed to have a good life. But was it really? How would we know, it was never really talked about in the books. This story will reveal all. Angst, sex, abuse. eventual h/hr as it should be. major ginny bashing. possible ron bashing.
1. Not So Silent Night

**Authors Note**: Ok, this is my very first fanfic ever, so I have no idea how good it will be. I hope it's good though ) All reviews are welcome, and while criticism is also welcome, harsh criticism is not appreciated, but if you wish to write, I won't stop you ;)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the characters in this story, unless of course I decide to make my own.

**Warning:** The rating is M for angst and sex in later chapters. There is very little (if any) in this chapter of either, but still, I felt the need to warn you in advance. Also, there will be ginny bashing through out. Happy reading!

Hermione Jane Granger sat down on a kitchen chair in the Weasely's home, commonly referred to as the burrow. She was alone for the first time since she had gotten there a couple of days ago, and she let out a long, slow, relaxed breath; one that it seemed like she had been holding since she stepped off of the Hogwarts express last year. She thought about how awful it had been going home this year, and how much she appreciated the Weasely's letting her stay with them, even if they didn't know just why it was so important for her to get out of the house.

Thinking about her home life, Hermione felt the tears well up in her eyes, and one slide slowly down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away when she heard someone clumsily making their way down the stairs. There was no need to tell them of her problems, after all, she had kept them secret for seven years. Well, really, all her life, but that was beside the point.

You see, the truth was, as much as she would miss Harry and Ron if she didn't see them all summer, she didn't really like staying with the Weasely's, but anything was better than the alternative. She was even able to put up with Ginny (who had grown up to be quite the bitch) just so she wouldn't have to stay at home. In fact, if Ginny wasn't Ron's sister, they would never even talk to each other.

Pulling herself out of her thoughts, she looked over her shoulder to see who had descended the stairs at such a late hour (it was now around one in the morning).

It turned out to be a yawning and weary Harry. He ran his hands through his unruly hair, and frowned slightly when he saw Hermione.

"What are you doing up?" they both queried at the same time, causing them both to chuckle softly and Harry to grab a chair and sit down facing her.

"Why are you up so late?" Harry asked, slight but obvious concern on his face.

I made her heart hurt to see him worry about her, and for a millisecond, she thought about telling him, confessing everything, letting the lies slip out. It was just the drowsiness getting to her, slowing her normally rational thoughts, and letting her mind wander to hopes and wishes locked away, back in the depths of her mind, seeping through the self built wall, and flowing swiftly up to the surface. In that moment, she felt so tired, so weak, and so desperate that she thought she would certainly die without a hand to hold her up, someone else to bear the burden. She couldn't be alone anymore. She couldn't hide the emotions. It was as if the entire world had been set on her shoulders, but only then, in that moment, did she realize just how heavy it was. She felt like crying and screaming. Like yelling out for help. Help to save her, or help to kill her, either way, because she couldn't stand to be in between anymore. Fully alive, but only half living. Her mind both filled with a million thoughts and went completely blank. She felt like she was suffocating, choking, drowning, bleeding to death on cold, unforgiving and uncaring earth, that wouldn't think twice about swallowing her whole. She was being killed, and killing herself. Immune to pain, but never really numb.

And through all of this, not a single tear fell onto her cheeks, not a tremble passed her lips. The only visible sign of the conflict in her mind was that the sparkle in her eyes, normally strong and ever-present, flickered, and dulled, but only for a millisecond.

After the horrendous feeling went away, she took a breathe and said jokingly, "Well I could ask you the same thing!"

They both laughed a little, and taking another, deeper breathe, she said with a shrug, "I guess I just couldn't sleep."

Technically, it wasn't a complete lie. After all, _it was true_ that she couldn't get to sleep, she just failed to mention why.

But it didn't matter anyway. Though Harry was not nearly as clueless as Ron, there was no way anyone would have ever guessed what was going on in Hermione's head. She was much too good at hiding it.

"Well, what about you?" she asked after a couple minutes of silence.

"Same," he said with a tired sigh.

Again they lapsed into silence, lost in their own thoughts. Harry noticed that Hermione was staring out the window, and although he didn't particularly want to interrupt her obviously personal thoughts, he spoke up.

"Why are you staring out the window 'Mione?"

"I just love the night," she replied with a far away voice, staring out at the stars. "It's so peaceful. People think that the night is scary because they can't see in the dark, it leaves things unknown." At this point she stopped talking, got up and walked over to the window, and then continued "But sometimes its better not to know, to be naive to the dangers around you is to be in the only real bliss there is."

Harry, was stunned by her words, so elegantly put, but in a dark and dismal way. He got the feeling that she needed comfort, and although he very much wanted to ask her what was wrong, instead, he simply walked over to the window, placed his strong arm around her small waist, pulled her close, and allowed her to rest her heavy head on his shoulder.

They stayed like this for several minutes, neither speaking, completely wrapped up in their own minds. Eventually, they decided that they had better go to bed and at least try to get some sleep. They walked up the stairs together, parting once they reached Ginny and Ron's rooms, saying good bye with a simple hug that said more than they themselves had all night.

AN: Love reviews! I have no idea when i will update next, or even if I will at all. But I hope to )


	2. Surprise!

**Author's Note: **Yay, I updated! I loved loved _loved _getting those review, and I really appreciate all of them. You guys are sooo great. So, here's the next chapter, I apologize for the shortness of the first one, as well as the shortness of this one, but I wanted to end with a nice little cliff hanger (evil laugh). I'll try my very best to make the next one longer.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own, Harry, Ron, Hermione, or any other character used in this chapter.

**Warning: **Well, again, this chapter doesn't really require the M rating, but it's up there for later chapters and just in case. Now, on with the reading!

Hermione heard her alarm clock start beeping, and quickly rolled over to turn it off so that it wouldn't wake up Ginny. She had intentionally set it so that she would be up before Ginny and she would actually be able to take a shower. Even though she stayed up very late the previous night, Hermione wasn't tired. In fact, it was the best nights sleep she had had all summer. No nightmares, no glances over her shoulder, no jumping at every noise, no worries. She felt refreshed, and so much better than she had before.

She got up from the small but comfortable bed and walked over to her suitcase. It looked extremely small, hardly big enough to carry her make up and tooth brush. But, then, you don't get the title of smartest witch of your year without having a few tricks up your sleeve. In fact, this suitcase carried about twice as many clothes as normal people had in their entire closet, not to mention all other necessities for a teenage girl.

After grabbing the entire bag (which weighed very little, also by magical doing) Hermione walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. After magically adjusting the temperature to her liking, she stepped in and began washing up, all the while singing Evanescence's Snow White Queen. She sang it beautifully, hitting all the high and lows notes just right. To bad no one was to awake to hear her ;)

When she was done washing her hair and shaving her legs, she turned off the water and stepped out, drying herself off and then wrapping both herself and her hair in towels. She then walked over to the counter in front of the mirror, now all fogged up to the point that she couldn't see a thing in it, and picked up her bag.

After rummaging through the bag for a while, looking for the clothes that she normally wore, she stopped.

"I want things to be different this year," she thought, "so maybe I should start with how I look."

Deciding that she liked this idea a lot, she started going through her bag again, only this time, looking for a completely different outfit. Finally finding something that she liked (a pair of white mini shorts, a white Hollister polo with buttons that went halfway down, and a dark pink spaghetti strap to wear under the polo.) she pulled them out, and after drying her hair with the towel, she changed into them. Once done, she picked up one of the towels she had dropped on the ground in order to clean off the steam so that she could do her hair and makeup, only to stop short after only one swipe and let out an ear piercing scream.

* * *

Harry was sleeping peacefully in his bed, dreaming of a girl with deep black hair and mysterious dark eyes, someone whom, in the dream at least, he knew very well, when he was awoken by a loud, high pitched scream. He immediately sat bolt upright, pushing away the covers, jumping out of his bed and grabbing his glasses and wand from the bedside table, ready to fight.

The war may be over, and Voldemort may be dead, but that doesn't mean that things still can't go very wrong. And for this reason, Harry always stayed alert and ready for anything.

Looking to the other side of the room, Harry saw that Ron had also woken up.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Ron asked, obviously unnerved.

"It kind of sounded like..."

"Hermione!" they both yelled at once, staring at each other with wide eyes.

"I think it came from the bathroom." Harry said and then immediately ran out of the room, with Ron hot on his heals.

Harry ran down the hallway, wand raised, and his heart beating so hard in his chest he felt like it was going to explode.

"Please be OK, please be OK..." Harry mumbled to himself the entire way there, desperately pleading with any higher being that would listen.

Finally reaching the bathroom, he skidded to a halt in order to avoid crashing into the closed door. Grabbing the door knob, He yanked hard, only to find the door locked, and feel his heart skip several beats in fear.

* * *

When Hermione screamed she instantly regretted it, knowing that it would cause a commotion, and, worried that someone would try to burst in and "save her" she quickly ran to lock the door. There was no way she could let someone see her, and she really needed time to think. To bad she wasn't going to get that time. Because only mere moments later, she heard running footsteps and then someone trying to force the door open.

"Hermione, are you in there?" she heard Harry scream from the other side of the door.

"Yes, Harry, and I'm fine." she called back, trying to reassure him that everything was, in fact, fine.

"Oh thank god," he said, letting out a long breath. "What happened? Why did you scream?"

"Oh, I, um..." She quickly tried to come up with something, _anything, _that would be an excuse for screaming like that, but she couldn't think of anything.

"'Mione, you still with us?" Harry said in a much quieter and calmer voice, knocking on the door.

"Yeah, yeah, still here."

"Why don't you let us in so we can talk?" she heard Ron say.

"No!" she said, much to loud and much to quick.

"Why? Are you hiding something? Hermione, what's going on?"

"Shit!" she thought to herself, now on the verge of panic.

"Hermione!" this time it was Harry again. "If you don't let us in, we'll come in ourselves."

She still gave no response, hoping beyond hope that she could come up with a reason why she had screamed or why they couldn't come in.

"One..." Harry said, knowing that she would get the meaning. "Two..." he raised his wand "Thr..." he almost blasted away the door, but at the last second, he heard the lock of the door click open.

Grabbing the door knob, he looked at Ron, both sharing a look of satisfaction and fear, before he opened the door and walked in, jaw dropping to the ground at what he saw inside.

**AN:** Well, there you have it, chapter two. I'm not sure if I like this chapter or not. Please review and tell me what you guys think Hermione saw in the mirror. Oh, and who do you think Harry was dreaming about? ;) I will definitely update, hopefully soon (next weekend at the latest), and then you will find out )


	3. The Old Me

**Author's Note:** WOW! two chapters in one day, i'm good ;) So i got more reviews, yay yay, and i would like to thank everybody who has given reviews or put me on your alert list, as well as personally thank DA4All for adding this story to their favorites list. You guys make me feel so special ;) Also, some, but certainly not all, secrets will be revealed in this chapter.

**Warning: **Again, still not much M, but it's coming, i promise

**Disclaimer: **I am not J. K, Rowling, i do not own Harry Potter, ya da ya da, whatever, on with the story!

Harry almost screamed himself when he walked into the bathroom. While it might have been Hermione's voice talking to them through the door, it most certainly was _not_ Hermione's body standing in the bathroom.

No, the girl in the bathroom looked oddly familiar to Harry, and yet, he was certain that he had never seen anyone looked anything like her before. She was drop, dead, gorgeous, to put it quite simply. She had hair that was a black so deep that it shone blue in the lights overhead. It was curly, but not frizzy like Hermione's. On the contrary, it was smooth and made perfect ringlets that framed her heart shaped face and reached just below her shoulders (AN: think Vanessa Ann Hudgens' hair).

Harry's eyes then went to her face. Flawless skin, a creamy pale color that was striking against her black hair and showed the deep blush on her face. Her nose was smaller than Hermione's, but was cute. She had full lips, that were a lighter pink that most peoples, but the fact that they were different made them even prettier.

His eyes then traveled even further down, taking in the rest of her body. She was wearing a tight polo that was completely unbuttoned with a spaghetti strap under it then failed to completely cover her full chest. He also noticed her tiny waist, and well muscled arms. His eyes came to a screeching halt, however, when he saw the tattoo on her arm. He was to far away from her to see exactly what it was, but it intrigued him to find out. After staring at the tattoo for a few extra moments, he continued downwards. She had thin, but not to thin legs, that were long, even though she was only about 5' 4', two inches shorter than Hermione.

Even after he was done "inspecting" her, he still couldn't pull his eyes away, because as amazing as everything else about her was, her eyes were the most mesmerizing part. They were a deep brown, practically black, but there was a certain twinkle in them. A light that made them look like the night sky, shining with millions of distant stars.

And suddenly, Harry knew why she looked so familiar. She was the girl from his dreams. And not in the corny way guys say it to pick up girls. This was actually the girl he had been dreaming about before he had been awoken this morning, as well as many other nights before.

"You... you're... you're not Hermione." Harry managed to stumble out, still utterly shocked.

"Well, actually, I _am_." The girl, Hermione, said.

"But, but you can't be!" Ron said, who had been doing the same thing as Harry.

"Look, I can explain everything, or, at least, almost everything. We just need to go somewhere where no one else will see me, OK?" Hermione said frantically.

Harry, finally regaining normal brain function, nodded his head and then looked out the door to make sure no one else was up, then turned back around and motioned to Hermione and Ron that the coast was clear.

They headed to Ron's room, all the while Ron and Harry glancing back at the new Hermione, still enchanted by her.

Once they finally made it there, Hermione sat down on the bed Harry slept on as if she had been in there a hundred times, which she had. There was no longer any doubt in Harry's mind that this was Hermione, but he was more than eager to find out why she looked so... different.

"OK, is the door locked?" she asked after a couple moments of rather awkward silence.

"Yeah, and I put a spell on it so no one will be able to hear us, so spill, what's going on?" Ron said extremely fast.

"Well, it's kind of a long story, so just promise not to interrupt me OK?"

Both Harry and Ron nodded, and sat down on Ron's bed, facing her, like little kids about to be told their favorite bedtime story.

"OK, see the truth is... well... God, how do I put this? Um, well, maybe I should start with saying that I'm rich. Like, _really_ rich. And I'm kinda known for it. In the muggle world anyway."

"You mean, your like, famous?" Ron asked, in a low, hesitant voice.

"Well, not really. It's not like everywhere I go people ask me for my autograph or something, but in my town, everybody definitely knows me."

"What does that have to do with you looking like...that?"Harry asked this time, not as hesitant as Ron.

"I'm getting there. OK, so another thing you should know is that the people you met in second year, were _not_ my parents. Actually, that was my aunt and uncle, on my mom's side. My dad was the rich one, not my mom."

"Wait, was?" Harry said, sure that he must have heard wrong.

"Sigh, yeah, well, my dad is... dead. He was... he died, when I was three. Then my mom got remarried, but, um, she died in sixth year, so i live with my step dad." Hermione said all of this slowly, because it hurt to talk about it, and she could feel the tears welling up in her eyes.

When Harry saw that she was going to cry he quickly got up from the bed to go comfort her, only to be beaten there by Ron. As he watched him hugging her tightly to him he felt slightly sick. He wanted to be the one that was there for her, but Ron was her boyfriend after all, so he pushed down the feeling.

"Why didn't you tell us 'Mione?" Harry asked when the tears had subsided.

"I just, didn't want to bother you. That was a really hard time for you, and I didn't want you feeling sorry for me or worrying about me. And I really didn't want you to try and keep me from helping you stop Voldemort." she said, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks.

Again, Ron held her close, letting her bury her head in his shoulder.

"You should have told us Hermione. You know you can tell us anything. We would have been there for you." Ron said, trying to comfort her.

Once the tears had subsided again a couple minutes later, Hermione continued with her explanation.

"See when I was young, all of my friends were only friends with me because I had money. Well, all but one..." At this she trailed off a little, staring off into space for a few moments before shaking her head and continuing "I got really sick of it, and after I got my letter to Hogwarts I decided that I wasn't going to let it be that way there. I had a new start, why not use it to it's full advantages, right? Plus my mom and step dad were afraid that someone would find out about me being a witch, and so they took me to this real old, but really sweet lady named Rosemary. She was a very bright and accomplished witch, and they told her that they wanted her to make me look and act totally different so that no one would notice me at my new 'school'. To change everything about me. And, well, thats exactly what she did. Permanently." Hermione said, apparently finished with her story and looking at both of them in turn.

"Wait, your mean, this, this is what you _actually_ look like, and the Hermione we've known is like, a fake person?" Ron said, scratching his head and looking deeply confused.

"Well, yeah sort of." Hermione said quietly still not sure how they were going to react to the news.

"So, what happened then? Why are you back this way?" Harry asked, speaking for the first time in several minutes.

"Well that's just it," Hermione said, slightly louder this time. "This was very powerful spell. I have no idea what could have happened to reverse it, or what the hell I'm going to do now that I'm back to my old self! I mean, I can't go to school like this!"

"Yeah, that's very true..." Harry said, trailing off into deep thought.

A couple of minutes later Ron spoke up, breaking the silence. "Hey, you said that lady changed your personality too, but you don't seem to be acting any differently to me."

"Yeah, that is weird. I wonder why that is...God! This is so confusing. Maybe we should ask McGonagall, she's quite smart, she might have some kind of idea about what's going on." Hermione said with exasperation.

"Yeah, thats actually a really good idea." Harry said, "But what do we do until we can get a hold of her. I think you might have to show the rest of the Weasley's your new, er, old, look." Harry said with a slight reluctance, as though he didn't want anyone else to see her.

"I think I have an idea..." Hermione said with a mischievous grin on her face.

AN: So, what do you think Hermione's idea is? Who's the friend that didn't like her just for her money? Is there more going on at her house than that? And was it just me, or did something sound sorta fishy when she was talking about her dad's death? Read the next chapter to find out! oh, and don't forget to review. I love reviews :)

AN: Oh, and do you think the grammer and spelling is ok? I'm in the market for a beta reader right now, so if something sounds wrong, please tell me!


	4. Plans & Dreams

**Author's Note: **OK, so I apologize for the longish wait, but trust me, it was well worth it. I really like this chapter and I was able to make it longer than the other three, which is, of course, good.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter, or much else for that matter.

**Warning:** This chapter contains language and mentions violence. Do not read if you are under age or do not like. But if you are and you do, then by all means, read away!

Hermione's idea was to convince the Weasley Family that she had chicken pox, because none of them had ever had it, which means they wouldn't be able to be around her, and it would give her a reason to stay locked up. Plus, since it was a muggle disease, they wouldn't know what the symptoms were, like the fact that she would have red bumps all over her body and that she would need medicine for the fever and itching.

They could tell them that it was highly contagious if you had never had it before, but that you couldn't get it twice (which was true) and tell them that Harry had already had it (which was not true) so that he could still see her. The problem, however, was that Ron would not be able to see her, because there was no way they could convince his own family that he had had a highly contagious disease that they had never heard of or had themselves.

Another problem that they faced was figuring out how to see McGonagall. After all, if Hermione was supposed to be sick, they couldn't just go see her, and this was definitely something that needed to be discussed in person.

"We could sneak out." Hermione suggested when the conversation turned to this negative development.

"Since when do you actually _suggest_ breaking rules?" Ron said, laughing lightly, but looking slightly worried.

Harry new exactly why. Hermione's personality _was_ changing.

"Well, it makes sense, doesn't it?" Hermione asked, missing the look Harry and Ron had just shared.

"Yeah, it does, but when? We can't just pop into her office in the middle of the night. And we can't leave during the day or the Weasley's might notice that we're gone." Harry said.

"What we need to do is get them to leave." Ron said.

"All of them? That's gonna be kind of hard, don't you think?" Hermione replied.

"Well not really. Dad's always gone during the day because he has to work. Fred and George only pop in on occasion, and they won't think anything of it if we're not here. So that really only leaves Mom and Ginny." Ron said, starting out slowly but getting more and more excited as his plan unfolded.

"And if I suggest a nice mother daughter activity, I'm sure I can get them to leave too." Ron said, now wearing a huge smile.

"Well, what do they both like to do?" Harry asked, while standing across the room from Ron, leaning against the dresser and wearing a slight scowl.

"Shopping of course! Neither would be able to resist!" Ron exclaimed, practically bursting now.

"Ron, that's brilliant!" Hermione said, getting up from the bed where she was still sitting and giving him a quick hug, causing him to blush and puff out his chest slightly.

"So, when do you think the best time to go is?" questioned Hermione after she had sat back down on the bed.

"As soon as possible. We don't want to wait to long. And besides, school starts up in two weeks, and you gonna need a solution before then. If there even is one." Harry said, mumbling the last part and answering the question that wasn't really addressed to him.

"Yeah, that's true. We should discuss this later though, because by now I'm sure everyone else is up, and it's a wonder they haven't come to get us yet since we are scheduled to go to Diagon Alley today. Now, you two go downstairs and inform them that I have fallen terribly ill." Hermione said with mock grief, and fell on the bed dramatically, giggling lightly.

"See you later love!" Ron said, sweeping out of the room without even glancing back at Hermione.

Harry glared at him as he left. "He has no tact," Harry thought as he made his way over to the bed, sitting down next to Hermione.

"Are you sure your gonna be ok locked up in this room by yourself all day?" Harry asked, stressing the 'by yourself' part.

"I'm sure Harry. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine" She replied smiling.

"Ok, but I'll make sure we don't get home to late." He said, leaning in and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek that he wished had landed somewhere else, before walking out of the room, and making his way down the stairs to the hustle and bustle of the kitchen below.

* * *

After Harry left, Hermione crawled out of the bed groggily, intending to change into more comfortable clothes so that she could go to sleep. She was very tired after waking up early and experiencing the shock of her life, so all she wanted to do was glide under the covers and sink into the soft mattress beneath.

The first thing she came upon was Harry's suitcase, sitting on the floor near the end of the bed. She walked over to it, and after a few seconds of rummaging, found one of Harry's shirts. She slipped out of her own shirt, shorts, and bra, leaving on only her underwear, and then put on his. It was big for her, obviously, and reached just below her bottom. After zipping up the suitcase again, she yawned and crawled into the bed, falling into a sleep interrupted only dreams.

* * *

"Harry dear!" Mrs. Weasley said when she saw him come down the stairs. "Oh, thank goodness your up and dressed. I completely forgot to go wake you up, and it's almost time to go!" She said, sounding flustered. "Now, dear, where's Hermione?"

"Oh, well, actually, she's not feeling well." Harry said, feeling slightly uncomfortable about lying to Mrs. Weasley, (she was like a mother to him) but he knew it was necessary.

"Not feeling well? Is she ok? Maybe I should check on her…" Mrs. Weasley said, starting to move towards the steps.

"No!" Harry shouted a little too loud. Mrs. Weasley stopped and looked questioningly at Harry. "Um, you can't go see her because she has the chicken pox."

"The chicken pox? What's that?" She asked with a little chuckle. The name _was_ rather funny if you've never heard of it before.

"Yeah, it's a muggle sickness. It's really contagious if you've never had it before. But if you have, you won't get it again. I had it myself when I was three."

"Highly contagious you say? Are we going to be ok? Is Hermione going to be ok? Does she need medicine? A doctor?" Mrs. Weasley frantically asked, not pausing to take in a breath once.

"No, no. She'll be fine, and you won't get it if you stay away from her for a while." Harry said, trying and succeeding to soothe her.

"Oh, thank god! Well, I guess you're going to have to stay and take care of her."

"Wait, what?" Harry asked, not expecting that.

"Well yes dear, she can't be left alone if she's sick. And if it's contagious she certainly can't come out of whatever room she's in until she gets better, so some one will need to bring her food, blankets, and whatever else she needs. Not to mention keep her company. And since you're the only one who won't get sick, it has to be you. You don't mind, do you dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked sweetly.

"No, of course not. You're right, she will need lots of help to get better."

Harry smiled on both the inside, and the outside. No, of course he wouldn't leave Hermione stranded like that, but what he was really excited about was spending so much time with her. Alone… His smile widened, but shot into frown when he looked over to the dinning room table where Ron and Ginny were eating. They both gave him a slight wink, but for very different reasons.

(AN: In case you don't get it, Ginny's winking because she likes him, Ron because Hermione's plan was working.)

Harry fought the urge to roll his eyes. He wished Ginny would get that he just wasn't interested. He would never like her. In fact, she drove him absolutely crazy. She was so immature, not to mention a spoiled brat. Some people called her a whore because she flirted with all the guys, but Harry doubted that any of them had slept with her, since they rarely seemed interested unless they were completely drunk.

Ginny petted the seat next to her, indicating that she wanted him to sit there. Again he fought the urge to roll his eyes and sat down. Mrs. Weasley then set a plate full of food down in front of him and told him to eat up.

Harry did as he was told, eating the food in a rapid way, similar to Ron. Ginny tried to start a conversation with him, but by the time that she had finally come up with something even remotely interesting to talk about, he had finished eating.

"That was delicious Mrs. Weasley. I would love more, but I should go check on Hermione." Harry said, getting up from the table.

"That's a good idea Harry. I'm sure that she will appreciate it. Now we have to go, but you make sure that she gets lots of rest, and if she gets a fever, make her some of the tea in that cupboard over there, ok?"

"Thanks, I will." He said, now walking up the stairs, eager to get away from Ron and Ginny.

Once he had made it about halfway up, and the Weasley could no longer see him, he lightly slapped himself in the forehead with the palm of his hand. "Fucking Crazy," he thought.

* * *

Hermione was dreaming about a beautiful lake. It shimmered in the setting sun, and there was a little girl, around the age of three, playing in the water near the bank. Picking up rocks and throwing them into the water. She looked happy and playful, as most kids that age do. Not old enough to know the pain and fear that the world holds. But she would soon learn.

She heard a car pull up in the driveway on the other side of her house (she had really good ears) and ran inside the older mansion, already knowing who it was. She ran quickly, hoping to beat her father to the door. When she reached the room she was glad to see that he wasn't there yet. Deciding to play a game that they often did, she hid in a small closet across from the front door. She left the door cracked so that she would be able to see when her father came in, and then she could jump out and scare him.

She heard someone walking up the steps, only it wasn't one person at all. It was two. And they weren't the leisurely strides of someone who had just gotten off of work and had finally made it home on a monday evening. The footsteps were rushed, heavy, and frantic.

This was a smart girl. Extremely smart. And she could tell that one of those footsteps was her fathers, and the ones that were farther away was somebody chasing him. Her heart started to beat faster, but she remained in the closet.

Suddenly she heard the lock turn and the door was flung open. She could see her father rush in, clothes torn, and breathing heavily. He turned around to close the door, but just as it was about to slam shut, someone shoved it open, causing her father to fall to the ground. The man then walked in, and when the little girl saw him, she wanted to scream.

He wasn't a particularly tall man, shorter than her father, but he was very muscled. He was bald on his head, but he had a dark beard and mustache. He also had a strange tattoo on his arm that the girl couldn't quite make out. The truly scary part about him was his eyes. One was a brilliant blue, deep and almost attractive, the other, a scorching red.

She couldn't look anymore. She wanted to scream and run, but she knew that the best thing to do was to stay hidden. She heard the sounds of a fight, and then a loud thud as someone was thrown to the floor. After a few second of silence, she heard the man with the red eyes ask "Where is she?"

He spoke in a deep voice, but with an accent that she couldn't place. There was no answer. Again the man asked the same question. Still no answer. He didn't ask a third time. Instead, there was a huge bang, and Hermione knew without looking that her father was dead.

AN: Ok, so maybe that wasn't quite as long as thought. But it was still longer than the other chapters, so thats good. And wow! Some dream, huh? Anyway, please please review! I only have eight reviews, and it makes me kinda sad :( but getting more will make me happy! :)


	5. Perfect Moment

**Author's Note:** So, I am fully aware that this chapter is rather short, and I apologize, but I was busy working on this project for school and I wanted to update this weekend. Also, thanks to those who reviewed, and/or added this story to their favorite list or their alert list. Oh, and Jaing, lol, your not crazy, I was trying to go for that kind of dark look. So good call!

**Warning: **I don't think there's really a need for a warning for this chapter, it's fairly clean. But still, be cautious.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own it, you don't own it, it's a cruel world.

Hermione shot up in bed. She hadn't had a dream that realistic about her father's death in years, and it frightened her. She looked around the room and noticed that Harry was standing near the bed looking worried.

"I'm sorry 'Mione. I didn't mean to wake you up." He said, bending down and picking up her bag that he had retrieved from the bathroom where she had left it.

"That's OK Harry. I wasn't sleeping very well anyway." Hermione replied, realizing it was the sound of him dropping the bag that had awakened her.

When he stood back and placed the bag on the dresser he got a real look at her and froze. The covers had fallen down so that he could see to about mid thigh, and boy did he like what he saw. All that she was wearing was his shirt, and he silently promised that he would give all of his clothes to her if he could see her wear them like that. Her hair was slightly messy from tossing and turning in bed, but it looked oh, so, sexy. The small expanse of leg that he saw left him hungry for more. And the way her breasts looked in the loose cloth made him want to rip it off of her.

"Uh, is that my shirt?" He asked, still trying not to stare.

"Oh, yeah! I'm sorry, is that OK? I was just looking for something more comfortable."

"It's definitely OK." Harry said, looking over her again and then walking over to the bed and sitting next to her.

"You were mumbling in your sleep. What were you dreaming about?" he asked, not really thinking much of it.

"Oh, well, it, it was nothing." She said, avoiding his gaze.

"Hey, hey," he said softly, putting his hand on her soft cheek and turning her face to look at him, " I don't want there to be anymore secrets between us. It hurts really bad to know that you feel like you had to hide things from me. So, is there anything at all that you want to tell me?"

Hermione looked into his eyes and she knew, she just had to tell him. She let a soft sigh and then began.

"I was dreaming about my dad." She said, "And how he died."

"Which was...?"

"He was killed by this really scary looking guy with one blue and one red eye, right in our house. He had just gotten home, and I was hiding in the closet waiting for him when it happened." Hermione had now begun to cry lightly. Remembering that day hurt her a lot.

"Oh, 'Mione, that's awful! What did the guy want?" Harry said, pulling her close to him like he had wanted to do earlier.

"I don't know. He just kept saying 'Where is she?'. I had no idea what he was talking about." she said, now crying much harder.

"Shh, it's ok."

"Um, do you want some hot chocolate?" Harry asked a few minutes later for lack of anything better to say.

Hermione stopped crying and wiped her cheeks then nodded her head.

"OK, I'll be right back." He said, getting up and walking over to the door. "Don't go anywhere!"

When Harry got back he was holding two mugs of steaming hot chocolate. He sat back down on the bed and handed one to Hermione. They both began to drink in a comfortable silence. But then Harry remembered something he had been wanting to ask Hermione since he had seen her in the bathroom.

"Hey, I noticed you have something on your arm? What's up with that?"

Hermione started laughing lightly and replied, "I got it this summer. Do you wanna see?" She asked, setting her cup down on the dresser and beginning to roll up her sleeve.

"What!? You _voluntarily_ got a tattoo?!"

"Well, yeah, they don't just appear." She said, still laughing.

"Oh, I thought it, you know, had something to do with the... uh, change." he said, a little embarrassed.

"Nope. One hundred percent intentional. Look..." She rolled up her sleeve, allowing him to see the elegant design. It looked to be a group of Chinese or Japanese characters of some sort.

"It's Korean." She said softly, answering his unspoken question.

"What does it say?" He asked, still looking at the intricate lines a swirls.

"Well, loosely translated it says 'Pain is just a pleasure your mind can't understand'"

Harry looked up at her, wondering where she had come up with such a majestic and morbid thought to have permanently put onto her skin.

"You know, it's funny. When I got it, the guy said there would be no way to get it off. I guess he wasn't lying." she said, giggling, and then yawning.

"Oh, you should go back to sleep. You are sick after all," Harry said with a wink.

Hermione yawned again, bigger this time and nodded her head in agreement.

"You should too," she said, pushing down the covers on the other side of the bed, indicating that she wanted him to sleep there.

"Oh, well, yeah I guess." He replied, more than eager to share a bed with her, but still slightly nervous that he might not be able to control himself, especially since she was still wearing his shirt.

He got up and walked over to the other side of the bed, crawling in beside her.

"Aren't you hot?" She asked. "You should probably take off you shirt."

He gulped slightly, but did as she suggested.

Hermione pulled the covers up to her chin, reveling in the softness of the sheets. Harry watched her, mesmerized by how beautiful she was. He laid his head down on the pillow, still staring at her. She looked up at him and smiled, and his heart started to beat faster. Scooting over so that she was right next to him, she snuggled up against him, laying her head on his chest. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer.

Hermione had never felt so safe before in her life, like nothing could ever harm her again, because he wouldn't let it. She felt extremely relaxed, and quickly fell asleep.

Harry stayed awake awhile longer, playing with her soft black locks and looking down at her angelic face. He never wanted to see her move, ever. In that moment he knew, he would never be happy with anyone else laying next to him. He loved her with all his heart, and even if it hurt him to know that she might never truly be with him, at least he had this one, perfect moment.

A/N: Wanted: Reviews of any length, from anyone. Good or Bad. Reward: To be determined at a later date.


	6. Whats your Fate?

**Author's Note: **Ok, so chapter six! Don't know if i like this chapter. I wrote it when i was sick, so it might not be as good as my other chapters. Anyway, love the reviews! And love all of you who reviewed, added me to your alert list, your favorite list, or just read it at all!

**Warning: **There is really no need for one in this chapter, and for that, i apalogize.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry, Ron, Hermione, or Professor McGonagall. I do own Madeline Fate as she is from my own imagination.

Harry woke up, blinking his eyes several times before they came into focus. As soon as they did he saw the best thing in the world. Hermione was sound asleep, right next to him.

The shirt she was wearing (his) had ridden up while she was sleeping revealing about half of her torso. She was turned the other way and her smooth back was pressed up against his chest. He had his arm wrapped around her tiny waist and used it to pull her even closer to him, loving the feel of her skin on his.

He heard her mumble something in her sleep, and realized she was waking up. She yawned wide and stretched her legs under the covers.

Hermione could feel his strong arms drawing her into him. She smiled slightly and turned around to face him.

"Morning," He whispered.

"Ug, what time is it?" She asked, rubbing her eyes.

Harry glanced over at the clock. "'Bout ten thirty."

"We've been asleep for three hours?"

"Looks that way. We should probably get up." Harry said, pushing down the sheets and using literally all his will power to pry himself away from her.

~L,L,L~

The next week and a half passed without incident, and Hermione found it more and more infuriating having to spend her days locked up in Ron's room. Thank god for Harry's company though. Without it, she was sure she would have gone crazy. Ron did sneak in on occasion as well, usually at night once every one else had gone to sleep.

At the current moment, they were preparing to leave. Ron had finally been able to get rid of all the family, and they were discussing their tactics for speaking to McGonagall once they arrived at Hogwarts. Or, rather, Harry on Ron were. Hermione was simply staring out the window, seeing the late summer rain that she knew would be warm, and longing to feel it on her skin. Oh, how she needed to get outside.

"...That might not be a good idea. What do you think Hermione?" Ron asked, who had taken her silence as deep thought, when in reality she was simply letting her mind wander.

"Huh, what?" She asked, turning away from the window.

"What do you think of Harry's plan?" Ron asked, still oblivious to the fact that she had no clue what he was talking about.

"Look, I don't think there is any 'plan' for a situation like this. I mean, first off, there is no possible way to avoid the 'freak out factor' when she first sees me, not to mention the difficult explanation process. The best thing to do, is to leave right now to ensure we have enough time to fully think this through when we get there. The Weasley's will notice our absence if they get home before us." Hermione, eager to get out of the house and just get it over with.

"Well, Hermione's right, as usual. Lets just go." Harry said, walking to the door.

Hermione and Ron got up and followed him down the narrow stairs and into the living room. Stopping once they reached the fire place.

"You probably shouldn't go first," Harry said, speaking to Hermione, "Ron, why don't you?'

"OK," he picked up a handful of the floo powder and stepped into the fire place. "Don't take to long though, I don't want to be left there by myself to explain things." And with that, he was gone.

"Alright, I'll go next." Harry said. " You sure your ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Hermione replied with a sigh.

"See you on the other side then." Harry said, with mock sorrow as though he was going to his death bed.

Hermione giggled and waved, watching him disappear.

Letting out another long sigh, she picked up a handful of the gray-green colored dust, and with one last look around the cramped living room, she too vanished.

~L,L,L~

Stumbling out of the fireplace in Mcgonagall's office, Hermione felt the nerves start to set in. "Jeez, this should be good fun" She thought, looking around.

McGonagall's office (that used to be Dumbledore's) was brightly lit, and very clean. The book shelves that lined the walls were all neat and tidy, but not overly so. The various chairs around the room all looked quite welcoming, but had an air to them as if no one had sat in them in years. Except for one particularly inviting one that sat in the corner. "Probably McGonagall's favorite." Hermione thought upon seeing an open book on the end table next to it. There were still the pictures of all the previous headmasters along the walls, although many appeared to be out, visiting their other frames. McGonagall's desk sat toward the back of the room, and was more cluttered than the rest of the space. It was by no means unorganized, but appeared to have the look of something that was on the verge of overflowing. There was no dust on any of the objects around the room, but yet, even in it's stark cleanliness, the room was still warm and pleasant, helped along by the blazing fire in the right hand corner nearest the door.

Hermione found Harry and Ron sitting next to each other in two of the multiple chairs, but was unable to locate Professor McGonagall.

"What should we do?" Ron asked, after Hermione had sat down next to him.

"We should just wait. She'll come here eventually." Hermione said, being the voice of reason, like always.

And so they all got settled in, prepared for long wait.

~L,L,L~

Professor McGonagall made her way up to her office, books and papers in hand, all set for another long day of preparing for the new school year. When she walked into the door however, what met her eyes was anything but what she expected.

Upon seeing the three unknown people, McGonagall dropped all of the things that she had been holding, and let out a slight scream.

Harry and Ron turned around at the sudden noise, allowing her to see their faces.

"Oh my goodness you three! You scared me half to death." She said, calming down.

"We're terribly sorry to have come without asking, but we really needed to talk to you." Harry said, as he and Ron went over to help her pick up the things she had dropped. After they handed them to her she walked over to her desk and set them down, motioning for the boys to sit down.

Hermione, who had not moved during this, waited for Harry and Ron to approach the subject before showing her face, and therefore remained where she was.

"Well, what is so important that you could not wait two days when school started to ask me?" McGonagall asked, wearing her usual stern face.

"We came to talk to you about Hermione. There's been...a problem." Harry said, glancing warily at Hermione's back.

"Ms. Granger? Whats wrong with her?" She asked, looking over at Hermione now as well before returning her sharp and questioning gaze back to Harry.

"Um, well... you see... Maybe it's better if she just shows you herself." Harry said, trying and failing to find the right words to explain.

Hermione heard Harry say this, and figured that was her cue. She stood up and turned around, swiftly making her way to the only other empty chair in front of McGonagall's desk. She could see the obvious look of surprise on the Professor's face.

"Ms. Granger, what has happened over the summer?"

And with that, Hermione began the same story she had told Ron and Harry only a week and a half ago.

~L,L,L~

"So, there it is. That's what I know." Hermione said, finishing her story.

"Well, I don't see what there is to do. I have no idea what would have caused a change like this. I'll ask the other teachers and start doing some research, but I'm afraid your going to have to come to school looking this way as I doubt any resolution will be _found_ within a few days, much less actually be able to be put to work." McGonagall said, already over the shock of Hermione's story.

Hermione let out a short sigh. "I figured that's what you'd say. What do I say when people ask what happened? What's our story?"

This is what Hermione asked, but what she wanted to say was "So what's my lie this time ?"

She hated that this was happening. Like her life really needed anymore confusion, or lies to get straight. "So much for a good year..." Hermione thought, remembering her plans.

"Well, we will simply tell people that your not Hermione Granger." McGonagall said, as though it was obvious.

This wasn't what Hermione had been expecting. "Wait, what?"

"Yes. It would be preposterous to tell them that you had simply changed over the summer, as that would be absurd and no one would believe you. So, we simply tell them that your someone else."

Hermione took a second to think this over, and realized that she was absolutely right.

"So, who do we say I am then?"

"Well, we should change both you first and last names. You said that you changed your name when your appearance was altered, what was it before?"

"Hermione Fate." She replied.

"Well, like I said, we should change you first and last name, but Fate will do. Now for a first name... Any thing that you would prefer or suggest, Ms. Fate?" McGonagall asked, putting her elbows on the desk and lacing her fingers together.

Hermione thought it over a seconed, but soon knew exactly the right name.

"Yes, actually. I do. Madeline." Hermione whispered softly, with a sad smile on her face, and without lifting her head up.

"Madeline? Thats a very beautiful name. And it will do quite nicely." McGonagall said. "Well, it is getting quite late children, and I have much work to attend to. Unless you have any other matters to discuss with me, I shall see at the start of school."

"Thank you Professor, we appreciate your help." Harry said, standing up.

And with that, the three of them stood up and disappeared into the fire place. But before they left, Minerva caught a single glimpse of Hermione, and she couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw a single tiny tear drop onto the dusty fire place floor.

AN: Please please tell me what you think!! I'm addicted to reviews! Ok, maybe not, but i still like them =) Oh, and do you like the name? Fate is my last name. IDK where Madeline came from though.


	7. Windows and Doors

**Author's Note: **Well, here we are, chapter 7. I received some constructive criticism last chapter, which I truly appreciate, and I hope that I followed it. If not, please let me know and I'll try harder next time ;)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Harry Potter, and I do not know why I have to say this every chapter, as it seems rather obvious.

**Warning: **Still nothing that is real awful bad, so no need for this. Please, read...

"Hermione...Hermione. Hermione!"

Hermione was vaguely aware that someone was trying to wake her up, but she only groaned and rolled over in bed, not ready to start another day just yet.

"Come on Mione', it's time to get up." The voice said soothingly.

"Mm, 'o away." Was her mumbled response.

"You wouldn't want to be late for your first day of school would you, Madeline?" the voice whispered her false name into her ear, sending shivers down her spine and sufficiently waking her up.

She opened her eyes revealing a pajama clad Harry sitting on the edge of her bed wearing an uncharacteristic smirk.

"Come on, come on!" Harry said, his smirk turning into a genuine smile.

Hermione sat up and giggled at Harry's resemblance to a young child, avidly awaiting a Christmas gift.

"All right, I'm up."

Hermione got out of bed and walked across the small room to the dresser where her bag containing her clothes sat. She pulled out a pink and white striped mini skirt and a white tank top with light pink designs on it that matched the skirt.

"Um, Harry, can you uh, give me a minute?" She said, waiting for him to leave so that she could change.

"Oh, right. Yeah, sorry. I'll just be downstairs eating some breakfast." He said, backing out the doorway with a light blush on his face.

After Hermione changed, she made her way to the bathroom with her bag still in hand. Once there, she proceeded to get ready. First she decided to style her hair. It felt strange to her not having to deal with all the frizz, but she certainly appreciated it. She simply put it into a high sitting pony tail, letting her bangs sweep over to cover her left eye and leaving out a few shiny ringlets to frame her face on the right side. After she finished with her hair she proceeded to do her makeup. Having no need for cover up or blush, this process was faster than it normally was. After creating a thin line of black on her top and bottom lids with her eyeliner, Hermione grabbed her two favorite eye shadow colors and put them on. They were a light pink and a sparkling white, which complemented her dark eyes very well. Once finished with that, she applied a small amount of mascara (as she already had long and thick lashes). The last thing she did was put on a light pink lip gloss on her full lips.

Once completed, she looked in the mirror, and for the first time in a long time, she liked what she saw.

The Weasley clan had been informed of Hermione's "change", so, much to her appreciation, she didn't have to stay locked up.

"I was starting to get as nutty as my Nana's fruitcake." she thought to herself.

She glanced at the clock, and realized that she was late. "Shit!" She thought, grabbing her bag and running out the door.

~L,L,L~

Harry changed as well, and then made his way down the stairs to the kitchen, his stomach growling in anticipation of the delectable food that awaited him at the bottom.

Once he got there, he took a seat next to Ron (purposefully avoiding Ginny, who put on her pouty face that she unbelievably thought was cute) and began eating the eggs and pancakes that Mrs. Weasley had set in front of him.

Fifteen minutes later, Harry was sure that he couldn't eat anymore, and simply sat relaxing in his chair and sipping his glass of orange juice. He heard the sound of foot steps coming down the stairs, and thanked god that Hermione had finally made it down, as that would stop Ginny from flirting with him across the table. But when she reached the bottom of the steps he almost spit out his drink.

"Wow."

The word escaped Harry's lips before he could think. It was like an instinct, or a reflex. And Harry flushed the second he realized what he had said. But she looked so beautiful. The skirt swaying along her thighs, exposing smooth, thin legs, made Harry gulp, trying to make sure no one could see how it was affecting him. The shirt clung to her curvaceous figure, and the make up made her face and eyes even more striking. It was no wonder Harry responded the way he did.

"Oh, thank goodness! Come now, you don't have time to eat, we have to leave." Mrs. Weasley said, as they all began gathering their belongings and making their way out to the car Mr. Weasley had gotten from the Ministry.

They shuffled into the seemingly small car, and were off. Hermione looked out the window the whole ride, wondering what this year was going to be like, and whether looking different will actually change her, or if she's destined to be a certain way, regardless of her appearance.

Once they arrived at platform nine and three quarters, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all bade Mrs. Weasley farewell and then made their way onto the train. Ginny left them when she spotted Dean, already flirting with uninterested guys.

The other three went looking for an empty compartment, trying to find quite and solace, but this was no easy task. As soon as one person noticed Hermione, a small crowd of people gathered around, trying to get a look at the "new girl". Harry eventually fought most of them off, and they closed the door on the numerous people and their questions.

"Well, that was interesting." Hermione said, still surprised by the reaction.

Harry let out a snort and replied, "Yeah, just imagine when we get to school. But don't forget we have to go see McGonagall as soon as we get there."

Hermione let out a sigh, and nodded her head, not looking forward to the meeting, as the Professor was going to give her a new "story" to go by. In other words, her fake background information, in case anyone asked. And if what just happened on the train was any indication, a _lot_ of people were going to ask.

Pursing her lips in silent frustration, Hermione put her forehead on the cool glass of the window and drifted into her favorite habit of looking out the window and letting her mind wander.

~L,L,L~

Standing in the warmth of Professor McGonagall's office, Hermione awaited the dreaded speech that was to come. McGonagall sat at her desk, tapping her fingers in a rhythmic pattern.

"Please, sit."

They mutely obliged, all eager to begin, but for different reasons.

"Well, Ms. Granger, or should I say Ms. Fate, I think I have our story."

Hermione let out a snort that she changed at the last minute to a cough, making a rather unattractive noise.

"If anyone asks," McGonagall continued undaunted, "You are transfer student from America. You have rich parents who felt that you were not getting the best education you could before, and therefore sent you here. You are staying with you aunt while your are here. You have no siblings, but your aunt is a friend of the Weasley's, which how you know Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter. Understand?"

Hermione let out a sigh, letting the new information sink in.

"Yes."

"And you won't have a problem remembering that? Any of you?"

"No." They all answered in unison.

"Good." McGonagall said with a smile. "Then it's time to get to the feast. Ms. Fate you will remain in Gryffindor, of course, so sit where you normally would, but remember, people that you know, won't necessarily know you. So, be careful when greeting people." She stated as they all got up and began walking out of her office. She stopped however, right before she opened the door. Turning around she said as an after thought, "Perhaps it would be best if you simply don't greet _anyone_."

Hermione nodded her head in agreement and shuffled out the door behind McGonagall and Ron, with Harry right beside her.

As they walked down the many halls and stair cases, getting closer to the Great Hall, Hermione could feel herself getting more and more nervous. She began to chew on her nails, a habit she had had for years.

Harry noticed Hermione's behavior, and grabbed her arm, pulling it away from her mouth.

He leaned in, smelling her sweet aroma, and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry, I'll be right here." He then grabbed her hand and squeezed it in a comforting way.

Hermione looked up at Harry, and seeing his reassuring eyes and smile, she felt herself relax considerably, and continued walking, now ready to face her peers, but never letting go of his hand.

The group came to a stop once they reached the magnificent doors that lead into the Great Hall. McGonagall turned around to look at Hermione, silently asking if she was ready, and then swiftly pushed open the doors, revealing four long tables filled with delicious food. And at these tables were hundreds of students, the heads of which all turned at the sound of the doors opening, staring in astonishment.

AN: So, this chapter was much shorter than I wanted it to be, but I wanted to make the whole "first meeting" thing a separate chapter, so I had to stop there. I apologize for length, but I hope the content made up for it :)


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